Murphy's Law
by happyday girl
Summary: Modern AU. Aramis is having a bad day- from missing an important meeting to getting drenched in milkshake, he just wants to go home and start over. Tasked with questioning potential witnesses on a serial killer case he hopes his run of bad luck is over, but when it is ever that simple? Hurt!Aramis and Caring!Brothers.


_**Murphy's Law- "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."**_

Winter sunlight weakly filtered through the curtains of the bedroom, bathing the room in a white, pale glow. Birds chirped outside cheerily, as though determined to make the most of the typically soggy English weather.

The flat was silent; its only occupant was fast asleep in his bed, totally oblivious to the world outside. One arm was curled around the pillow, with his face to the bedside table- seconds later, the small alarm clock emitted its shrill crescendo to once again announce the start the of the day.

Groaning, Aramis opened bleary eyes, and, in one movement, twisted around onto his back whilst simultaneously slamming his hand on the alarm clock, snoozing it for the third time.

Sighing, he wiped his hand down his face, grimacing at the stubble growing on his cheeks due to long night-shifts and early starts. He was going to enjoy his first lie-in in three months even if it killed him, he told himself.

He planned a long shower before grabbing breakfast a coffee on the way into work; he curled his fingers into the warm sheets, savouring every last second he could squeeze before his alarm clock trilled for the last time, forcing him to finally face this miserable November day.

He frowned as a new noise filled the bedroom- his mobile phone on his bedside table was ringing. Sighing, he turned and grabbed it, frowning further as he peered at the screen and saw Athos' name pop up.

'Hello?' he muttered into it as he sat up, voice still thick from sleep.

'Morning- didn't fancy coming into work this morning then?' Came his friend's reply, sarcasm positively dripping from the phone.

'Huh? Yeah, later- we've got the later shift, remember?' Aramis said, swinging his legs around and rubbing his flat bed-headed hair.

His heart skipped as he heard Athos sigh, whether in anger or humour he wasn't quite sure yet. 'We don't have to be in till ten.' he added, his voice hitching up a notch.

'This is why you need to keep your work mobile charged and stop relying on your personal phone- Treville texted us all last night saying we have a meeting to attend with Louis to discuss his personal protection requirements.' Athos replied; his voice had an edge to it that Aramis recognised at once as irritated tiredness, even for this time of morning.

'Shit! I didn't check it- I'll be right there!'

'Too late now, he's gone- it's Treville who wants to see you now...and he's not happy.'

'God...I'm such an idiot...' Aramis cursed, pulling on his clothes one-handed as he hopped around the room to get ready. 'Tell him I'm sorry and I'll be there as soon as I can!'

'I have- just get here quick.' Athos replied, before hanging up, leaving Aramis rushing around to get ready for the day.

* * *

He was going to forgo his planned coffee on his way into the station, but figured that a coffee would be a good apology to their Captain for not showing up; plus, he needed the caffeine.

The queue in the cafe was horrendous- so much so that Aramis very nearly abandoned his goodwill gesture about five times before he was finally called forward to place his order. After telling the Barista what he wanted he stepped backwards to wait- backing right into the path of another barista who was walking a tray of milkshakes to a table by the window. Glasses spilled everywhere, sending pink and yellow liquid all over Aramis and the poor barista.

'God I'm so sorry!' I'm such an idiot!' Aramis cried, eyes wide as the girl stooped to pick up the thankfully unbroken glasses. 'Let me help you...' he offered, scooping up a glass and placing it gingerly on the counter top, cheeks burning as a crowd began to gather.

'Sorry again...' he added, before looking up as his drinks were placed on the counter. 'Thank you- I'm so sorry for the mess!' he said again, smiling weakly as the barista shook her head and reassured him it was fine and he wouldn't need to pay for the drinks.

Walking out of the shop he sighed deeply as he felt his shirt begin to congeal with thick strawberry milkshake, making his shirt stick to his stomach and chest uncomfortably. He could change at the station, he told himself, and hurried across the road the police station.

* * *

Athos sighed as he pored over the report he was currently bent over, before rolling his neck and shoulders to get rid of the muscle aches that was already plaguing him.

'Not even lunch time yet.' He lamented to d'Artagnan, who was reading a case file on the desk to his left.

The younger man stretched and pulled a face. 'Constance made me sandwiches again.' he groaned, plonking a bag of tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches onto the desk. 'I've told her so many times I don't like tuna and she keeps buying so many tins of the stuff!'

'Here's an idea- why don't you pack your own lunch?' Porthos chuckled from the desk across the room, earning a glare from the younger man.

'I offer to do it! I can only offer so many times- she says she likes to do it...' d'Artagnan shrugged, before pushing the sandwich away. 'Fancy a tuna sandwich?' he offered Porthos, who grinned and held out his hands.

'Love me some tuna!' he grinned, before all three men looked up as the door to their small office banged open, a figure filling the doorway.

'Morning all.' Aramis muttered as he walked in, his voice sombre.

'Morning- what's that smell?' d'Artagnan muttered, sniffing. 'Cake?'

'Strawberry shortcake?' Porthos chimed in, sniffing the air too.

'Almost- milkshake.' Aramis replied, nodding down to his soaked shirt.

'What happened?' Athos asked, wheeling his chair around, reminding Aramis very vividly of a disapproving father.

'I had a run in with a barista when I was buying apology coffee and came off worse.' Aramis explained, sighing.

'Ooh, did you get me a coffee? Porthos asked, hopeful.

'What do I need to apologize to you for? Aramis quirked an eyebrow with a smile, before shaking his head and holding up a flat white. 'This is for the Captain on account of not turning up on time to the meeting.'

'You'd better hurry- he's going to see the Cardinal at twelve...' Athos muttered darkly, before turning back to his report. 'I'd get changed first.' he added, grinning as he heard Aramis mock-sigh and tap him on the shoulder before walking back out, this time in the direction of his locker before heading to Treville's office.

* * *

'This was an important meeting with a client who had asked for us personally. You may have jeopardised the whole contract!'

'I understand that Sir and I am truly sorry. I hadn't-'

'Hadn't what? Charged your phone? The phone we explicitly tell you to charge each night before you leave the station? The phone for which we created a poster to go specially on your desk to remind you to charge it?'

'Yes Sir. Sorry sir.'

Captain Treville sighed as he looked across at the man on the other side of his desk. Detective Sergeant Aramis was a gifted police officer; he was popular with the locals and fellow officers alike, and he got the job done. But God he wasn't half frustrating sometimes.

'I don't expect someone of your ability to make mistakes due to poor time-keeping of all things. You know you need to keep your phone charged and with you at all times- its a requirement of the job.'

'I understand...I just sometimes forget.' Aramis replied, voice sombre. Being a detective, he did not need to rely on a hand-held radio as much as the officers on the beat, so he usually made do with getting work calls called transferred to his personal phone, which he found much easier to use.

'I know.' Treville tried not to roll his eyes as he sat back in his leather chair. 'I had promised Louis that all members of the squad were going to be there to present how we can offer the best service over those idiots on the south side.' He muttered, rubbing his face with a tired hand. It had already been a long day.

He took a sip of the coffee Aramis had brought in for him, grateful for the caffeine-he grimaced as he took a mouthful of cold coffee, but he decided to keep drinking it to save his colleague's feelings. The faint scent of strawberry lingered in the air, but he didn't point it out as he watched Aramis balk at his words.

'What!? He wanted to go to the Red Guards?' Aramis muttered, aghast, using the nickname that he and the rest of the officers on the East side of the River Thames had coined for their Southern counterparts after an unfortunate 'accident' two years before, in which their white pristine dress shirts were 'inexplicably' died scarlet due to a rogue red sock that had 'somehow' found its way into their laundry the day before a very important parade...

'I hope you managed to get the contract from them!' he added, before looking back down to the table as Treville gave him a pointed look. 'Sir.' he added.

'We'll get an answer by next week- and if we do it will be of no thanks to you.' Treville shot back, trying not to roll his eyes.

'Yes sir.' Aramis nodded, giving the Captain a smile. He and Detective Chief Inspector Treville (whom most of the men had affectionately dubbed "Captain") had been friends for years, and he knew when to respect his authority and when he could have some lee-way. The look on the Captain's face, however, told him he wasn't quite through with him yet.

Treville finished his coffee with a sigh and sat back in his chair, contemplating. He was still angry and frustrated that one of his best and brightest could have lost them a valuable contract, and knew that DCI Richelieu of the Southern force (dubbed "The Cardinal" by those who had encountered him due to his ominous presence and his penchant for high-necked, flowing black coats) would probably already know that something had happened that could swing the contract in his direction, and would exploit it at any cost. He had to make an example of Aramis' misdemeanour, no matter how small the punishment was.

'Well, since this is now the second or third time that you have not charged your phone before an important event, plus the amount of time and effort both I and the team have taken to trying to make sure you charge your phone, to no avail, I'm afraid I can't let it slide this time. No matter how many cups of apology coffee you buy me.'

Aramis inwardly sighed, but nodded. He also made a mental note to always carry around a charger, just in case, from now on. 'Yes, Sir.' he added.

'PC Oliver has called in sick- he's the beat cop working the Talbot Ghost case.' Treville started, inwardly wincing as he used the moniker that the press had invented when reporting the case they were dealing with at the moment. Men and women, of no comparable age, ethnicity or appearance, had started going missing by the Talbot Towpath, a long stretch of canal that ran down one of the estuaries that led off the Thames. Their bodies, four in all, had turned up two or three days later, strangled, with no clues as to who had done it, apart from one ghoulish 'tag' that the killer, or killers, had left at the scene. A playing card- the King of Hearts .

'Right?' Aramis leaned in, interested. He and the others had been quite disappointed when they had been assigned a different case- only he, Athos and Porthos had dealt with a serial killer before, but it was years ago, and D'artagnan had never investigated one at all since being promoted to Detective Constable.

'He had been conducted door-to-door enquiries of the estates backing on to the towpath,' Treville explained, 'he had only done about half, and we need any testimony or witnesses to come forward as soon as possible. You know as well as I do how hard it is for people around here to talk. Maybe you, as a different face and attitude, can get them to open up a bit more about the more recent abduction?'

'I'll certainly try.' Aramis nodded, mind flicking back to the disappearance of a man in his twenties who had been cycling home from work along the towpath and had never made it.

'Good.' Treville nodded- both men stood up to begin their respective duties for the day.

As Aramis looked out the window at the dreary day outside, imagining his fun-filled day of knocking on doors ahead of him, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Treville was peering intently at him.

'Sir?' he asked, pushing in his chair.

'Have you had breakfast?' Treville asked, still staring at him.

Aramis' heart sank a little. 'No, I forgot to pick something up.' he muttered, rubbing his face.

'Thought not. You've got a blue tinge to your lips- go and get something and then you can go out.'

'I will, thank you.' Aramis nodded, giving his old friend a smile before heading out the door- he did feel a bit lightheaded, he noticed now, as he walked back into the office where his friends were still sat.

He sat on his chair and pulled out the black case he ensured he always had on his person at all times- quickly he prepped the glucose monitoring device and pricked his skin with the needle before feeding a strip into the machine so it could read his blood sugar level.

'Everything alright?' Athos asked, nodding at it as it made a shrill noise to show it had finished.

He watched as Aramis grimaced and swallowed, before looking round. 'Bit low.' Aramis muttered, patting himself down for anything to raise his sugar levels. Being a diabetic wasn't fun at the best of times, but he tried to deal with it as well as he could.

'Have you got anything?' Porthos called over, frowning.

'No, I didn't get any breakfast this morning and I've run out of supplies.' Aramis replied, biting his lip as another wave of wooziness flowed over him.

'Here-' Athos sat back and opened his desk drawer, revealing the multi-pack of snack sized chocolate bars he, Porthos and d'Artagnan regularly bought and kept safe, just for this occasion.

'You're a life saver, mate...' Aramis grinned, taking a Mars and hastily unwrapping it before popping it into his mouth.

'Don't mention it. You got cash for breakfast?' Athos smiled back, affectionately rolling his eyes as he watched colour slowly return to his friend's face.

Aramis nodded as he swallowed, feeling better by the minute. Today had not been a good day, and it wasn't even lunch time.

'What's the plan for today then?' Porthos asked, closing his report and wheeling his chair over to the others.

'I've been given door-to-door duties by Treville, so I'll be out all day.' Aramis announced- he hadn't had to do door-to-door since he had been a PC, so he was actually quite looking forward to it.

'And we've got report writing.' Athos groaned, yawning. 'But first, coffee!'

'Good plan!' D'artagnan grinned. Aramis stood up and put his coat back on, sniffing slightly as the aroma of milkshake hit him in a waft. Oh well, he didn't have a spare coat, so this would have to do, he told himself as he headed for the door.

'Have a good day, gents!' he called back, smiling as he got a wave of goodbyes in return.

Heading to the car park which housed the police cars, Aramis was relieved in the fact that anything that could have gone wrong today had already gone wrong- there was no way that anything else bad could happen today, he told himself firmly as he went down the concrete steps, slamming the security door behind him...

* * *

 **Well, this was longer than I had thought, but oh well :D**

 **So, this is the first multi-chaptered fic in my 'Misfits' AU, however I have done a couple of one shots up to now, so it is semi-established.**

 **Hopefully I'll keep to their characters whilst in this new universe...if you notice anything off, please let me know!**

 **Please review, and thank you for reading!**

 **X**


End file.
